Free
by Begin To Fray
Summary: The sequel to Hidden. Follows the continuing story of Jessie and Katie.
1. Chapter 1

**Ok. So I'm back with another fic, this is the sequel to Hidden. If you haven't read it then it might help you to make sense of bits of this fic! Unlike with Hidden, this one isn't finished, I'll be posting it as I write it so I can't promise hugely frequent updates. I hope you enjoy it, let me know what you think and whether it's worth me continuing.**

**Chapter One – The Responsibility **

"You've got all the numbers if you need to get hold of us haven't you Dear?" Judith, Katie's grandmother asked Katie, who was fidgeting in the hallway of the home she shared with her grandparents.

"I think I put the contact sheet through the washer in my jeans pocket... but I can remember 911 alright, so it should be fine." Katie replied, trying and failing to keep a straight face.

"Very funny, Katie. And you wonder why I'm so nervous about leaving you alone!" Judith responded, already regretting the decision to leave her grand-daughter in the house while she and her husband visited her sister in Maine.

"Judith, we're not leaving her alone. Jessica will be here, and she's clearly the more sensible of the two." Katie's grandpa cut in, winking at Katie as he spoke.

Katie smiled, she loved both of her grandparents, especially for how brilliant they were about her relationship with Jessie. Her grandpa was always making remarks about what a "Special young lady" Jessie was and how glad he was that Katie had found someone so lovely. Katie suspected that it was because he viewed Jessie in such high esteem that he always referred to her as "Jessica." A fact that never ceased to amuse Katie, and was often something she would tease Jessie about.

"Exactly Grandpa!" Katie replied. "Jessie is very capable of looking after everything with me, it will be fine, I promise." She finished looking at Judith now with determination in her eyes.

"Alright, alright, I believe you. But promise me you'll look through the peephole before answering the door to anyone." Judith said pointedly, a request that she had made several times since telling Katie about the trip away. Katie knew why this was an issue that plagued her grandparents, she knew that they worried that Katie's parents may arrive if they find out that she was home alone and try to take Katie back with them. Katie thought this was a ridiculous worry, if her parents had hated her enough to hurt her while she lived with them, why on earth would they want her back?

"You know I will Judith. Besides, that's something that you can certainly trust Jessie with, she wouldn't let me go anywhere with my parents in a million years." Katie replied, knowing that what she had said was true. She didn't like to talk about her parents and she didn't do it very often, but she also knew that Jessie was aware of how much the whole debacle still plagued Katie on a daily basis. Jessie would never let Katie step back into her parent's house.

"Judith, we really have to go now if we're going to make our flights." Katie's grandpa stated, giving Katie a reassuring smile before continuing. "When will Jessica be here?" He asked as Judith made herself useful by picking up their luggage and shuffling it towards the front porch.

"I'll go pick her up from Tae Kwon Do in about half an hour." Katie said, scooping up more luggage and skidding down the polished hallway in her socks, which as usual did not match.

Now, all three were standing on the porch watching as a black car rumbled along the extensive driveway leading up to the house.

"Right Darling, Be good. We'll call you tonight." Judith said, pulling Katie into a hug and giving her a kiss on the cheek before stepping back and allowing her husband to say goodbye to their grand-daughter. He enveloped Katie into a bear hug and remained there for several seconds as Katie breathed in the familiar scent of him that never failed to calm her down. Katie's grandpa released her and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"We love you Kates, look after yourself and Jessica." He gave her a warm smile and shuffled off, following his wife to the car as the driver lifted their luggage into the trunk. Just before the old man got into the car, he turned around and said one more thing to his grand-daughter.

"The contact sheet is tacked to the fridge. Your jeans are in your drawer." He gave Katie a wave, as a smile broke onto both of their faces. Judith watched from the other side of the car and shook her head fondly.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Katie felt a slight chill, she opened her eyes slowly, planning to check that she hadn't left her window open. She glanced at her bedroom window, the only light in the room came from the moon that was shining brightly outside and it was clear that the window was shut. However, there was something odd, Katie realised, there was no sleeping head on her shoulder, no warm arm draped across her stomach, no legs tangled in with her own. She reached over to the other side of her king sized bed, the sheets were cool and they were the only thing her hand came into contact with. Katie sat up suddenly.

"Billie?!" She called out. She got no answer. Katie flicked on the lamp next to her bed, and swung her legs over the side of the bed, her bare feet making a slight thud as they hit the hardwood floor.

"Jess?" She called out again, a little louder now. She opened the door to her bedroom and stuck her head out into the hallway, looking both ways and seeing no sign of her girlfriend. Katie opened the door wider and crept out of the room, wiping the sleep from her eyes and jumping slightly as a floorboard creaked beneath her feet. She looked at the row of doors leading off from the hallway, each one was shut, but one had a thin line of yellow light escaping from underneath in. Katie edged toward the door, knowing it lead to her own bathroom. She knocked lightly on the door before opening it, quietly thankful that it wasn't locked.

Katie stepped into the room, noticing the change in air temperature immediately, then soon after noticing her girlfriend.

"There you are!" Katie exclaimed, the relief evident in her voice.

"Sorry Katie, did I wake you?" Jessie questioned quietly.

"Only because I realised you weren't with me." Katie replied smiling before continuing. "What are you doing in there anyway?" She asked.

"I couldn't sleep. Usually when I can't sleep a bath helps." Jessie said matter-of-factly.

"Fair enough." Katie said, nodding thoughtfully before moving her hands to the bottom of her vest top and preparing to pull it up over her head.

"And what do you think you're doing?" Jessie said and laughed. Katie removed her top and glanced back towards her younger girlfriend.

"Well, I can't sleep now. Not knowing that you're in here all naked and wet!" Katie spoke as if her motives should have been obvious to Jessie. Jessie laughed again.

"You better get in here then." Jessie said with mock-urgency, and watched with a growing sense of excitement as Katie struggled out of her pyjama bottoms before flinging them halfway across the room and advancing on the bath tub.

"For someone who was asleep a few minutes ago, you do liven up pretty quick!" Jessie observed as Katie was now attempting to get into the tub behind her.

"Now what are you doing?!" Jessie queried with laughter still evident in her voice.

"No-one wants the tap end!" Katie explained, "Come on Jess, it's freezing!"

Jessie slid forward in the tub and allowed Katie to slide into the water behind her.

"There's absolutely no chance of peace when Katie Singer is your girlfriend." Jessie sighed jokingly.

"Hey!" Katie let out, moving her long tanned legs so that they rested either side of Jessie and pulling the younger girl back to lean on her. "Besides, Grandpa said I was to look after you, 'Jessica'. He would never forgive me if I allowed you to be lonely." Katie said smugly. Jessie rolled her eyes at the "Jessica" comment before she spoke.

"Somehow, I don't think your grandpa would exactly approve of this..." Jessie said suspiciously.

Katie leant forward and spoke directly into Jessie's ear, the younger girl shivered at the feel of her girlfriend's hot breath.

"Can we not talk about Grandpa right now?" She questioned in a sultry tone.

"You brought him up!" Jessie laughed, twisting her head to look at Katie and noticing that the lanky girl was pouting.

"Billiiie..." Katie whined.

"Sorry, sorry. Am I ruining the mood?" Jessie asked with a smile, before turning around once more and leaning back against Katie. Katie leant towards Jessie's ear once more, snaked her tongue out and licked the shell of Jessie's ear once before whispering:

"Yes." Katie was now sucking on Jessie's ear lobe gently, waiting to hear the soft moan that she knew would escape her girlfriend's lips. Katie nibbled her way up the side of the ear and sure enough was rewarded with a wanton moan from Jessie.

"Mmmm...Katie." Jessie let out, feeling butterflies lifting off in her stomach. Katie snaked her tongue out once more as she licked her way slowly back to Jessie's earlobe before taking it softly between her lips and sucking it lovingly then capturing the smooth flesh with her teeth and giving it a playful tug.

"So you couldn't sleep huh?" Katie asked quietly after releasing her hold on Jessie's ear.

Jessie was still over come with the feelings Katie had just ignited inside her and could only shake her head in response. Katie felt Jessie's movement and understood, nuzzling the side of Jessie's face with her nose in an attempt to make the mood more of a loving one as opposed to a passionate one.

"Something on your mind, Billie?" She asked.

Jessie sighed and leant her head back against her girlfriend's shoulder.

"I was just thinking how nice it is being here. When we're at this house everything is okay, everything feels safe." Jessie said slowly, as though she was trying to organize her thoughts before she voiced them. Katie smiled.

"And that was keeping you awake?" She asked

"No. Not that exactly..." Jessie replied before trailing off into silent thought.

"Then what? Come on Billie, those are nice thoughts to be having, how come they're keeping you awake?" Katie urged, feeling a little confused.

"It's just- remember when we were in the tent that first morning on school camp?" Jessie asked

"I certainly do!" Katie answered with a some-what suggestive tone. Her mind was re-playing the night in the tent that had lead up to the morning which Jessie was referring to. "I'll never forget that." Katie finished, her hands now beginning to creep up Jessie abdomen as flashes of the girl's first time flickered through her mind's eye.

Jessie grabbed Katie's hands before they could ascend any further and held them firmly in her own.

"Katie!" She exclaimed, willing the older girl to take her seriously for a moment.

"Sorry" Katie mumbled, not quite grasping what was going on, and a little disgruntled at being stopped from touching her girlfriend. _We're taking a bath together! How does she expect me to carry out a real conversation?_ Katie thought to herself. _I love her to bits but I'm still a teenager filled with raging hormones!_

Jessie felt a little guilty to putting a stop to Katie's intentions, she twisted her head slightly and placed a lingering kiss on the taller girl's cheek.

"No, I'm sorry." Jessie began "It's just, I wish it was like this all the time, you know?" Jessie sighed.

"What, me trying to get some and you pushing me back?" Katie joked.

"Baby, don't say 'get some' or you'll never be getting some ever again!" Jessie smirked before continuing "And no, I mean, I wish we could be so open all the time. Like here, even when your grandparents are home it's ok to kiss you, to hold your hand, it doesn't matter if I slip up and call you 'Baby' and I just wish it was always like that... wherever we are." Jessie finished cautiously.

Katie suddenly understood where this conversation was going. She tensed up.

"Mmmhmm." Was the response that Jessie received from Katie. Jessie twisted her head once more so that she could see her girlfriend's eyes.

"You don't agree?" Jessie asked, unsure.

Katie's eyes snapped away from Jessie's.

"Of course I agree Billie, but like I said that morning it wouldn't necessarily be like it is here if everyone knew. Your parents would probably be a lot more wary of the time we spend together. Besides, I _really_ like our sleepovers." Katie said, trying to lighten the mood with her final sentence.

"But-" Jessie began before she was interrupted.

"Come on Billie, the water's getting cold. We should head back to bed." Katie announced decisively. And with that, she stood up in the tub and stepped out, reaching for Jessie's hand to help her do the same.

Jessie sighed and allowed Katie to pull her from the tub.

Back in Katie's bed the girls lay spooned together, legs entwined and arms wrapped around each other's frames. The room was dark and quiet but two pairs of eyes were secretly open, both Katie and Jessie were pretending to be asleep but neither girl would be getting much sleep now.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two – The Breakfast **

**A/N: OK Guys, here it is. I'm not happy at all with this chapter, it's shorter than normal so I apologise for that. I won't lie, it's mainly filler. I wanted to get a little insight into both girls minds, but couldn't find an easy way to do that. I've written a few of the later chapters, so I know where the story is going, but as I finished this chapter I thought that it could do with maybe a part 2. So maybe read it then let me know what you think. Also, after posting the last chapter I realised that I had not allowed anonymous reviews. I've changed that now, so please review if you'd like to. Thank-you to all those reviewed the last chapter, I love reading reviews and do intent to respond to them this time! Anyway, sorry for the lengthy A/N, it's nearly as long as this chapter now. Hope you enjoy it people!**

The next morning Jessie realised that she must have eventually dropped off to sleep at some point during the night, she stretched herself out and groaned tiredly before turning onto her side to look at her girlfriend, who, given the silence in the room, Jessie assumed was still sleeping. Jessie had decided some weeks ago that she would never tire of waking up next to Katie, she'd never bore of starting a new day wrapped in the arms of someone she loved and the comfort and safety of being made to feel so cherished would never grow old. The fact that it was such a rare pleasure for the girls only made those first waking minutes all the more special. Since their first night with each other on the school trip, Jessie and Katie had only managed to share a handful of additional nights together. Given the nature of their relationship it wasn't easy to wrangle too many sleepovers without suspicions arising; at least that is what concerned the two teenagers.

In Jessie's opinion it was high time that they were honest about their blossoming partnership. She never thought that she would be the one pushing for them to be out in the open, she always viewed Katie as the one with more strength of character even if she was sometimes faking it. It had never really occurred to Jessie that her older girlfriend would need persuading to come out. After all Katie' Grandparents already knew, and to Jessie, their acceptance was nearly enough to solidify her plans to tell her parents. Now that she had voiced her wishes to Katie however, she sensed that in fact the girl was more than a little reluctant and her various excuses had not gone un-noticed by the young blonde. It was a fact that had been plaguing Jessie for some days now, but she decided that today was a day that they would both try to enjoy without the topic of their secrecy becoming an issue. With this in mind Jessie was resolved to taking advantage of their morning in bed together.

However, when Jessie rolled onto her side, she was greeted only with an empty space on the bed. Putting her hand to the sheets, Jessie was met only with cool material, holding none of the lingering warmth of her girlfriend. Jessie sat up abruptly and glanced around the room, she knew that Katie enjoyed sharing the first few moments of the day as much as Jessie herself did, so she didn't understand where Katie could have run off to.

Kicking off the covers and throwing her bare legs over the edge of Katie's double bed, Jessie rubbed her eyes and stood up, intending to search the house for her absent girlfriend, deciding that she was probably downstairs watching cartoons. Her bare feet softly hit the hard wood floor and she padded slowly towards the door of Katie's bedroom, stretching the sleep out of her limbs as she went. Jessie had almost reached the door when it burst open, startling her into taking a few rapid steps backward.

"No! No, no, no! You have to get back in bed!" Katie yelled as she entered the room, balancing a tray in one hand and looking at Jessie in disappointed exasperation.

"Well, good morning to you Katie!" Jessie let out, a bemused smile on her face.

"Sorry. Good morning Billie!" Katie said as she regained control of the tray she was carrying and kicked the door shut behind her with her foot. She made her way over to Jessie and gave her a quick kiss on the lips before standing back and looking pointedly at the bed.

"Now get back in bed." Katie ordered. "I made breakfast."

Jessie approached the taller girl and peered into the bowl that had been sliding around the tray as Katie moved about.

"Ice cream?" Jessie questioned, with not just a hint of surprise in her voice.

"We're only going to be young once Billie, it's best to take advantage of the chance to have ice cream for breakfast while we can." She stated as if it were obvious.

"You're very right my dear, and only you would have made such an observation." Jessie played along as she pulled back the covers of the bed and propped the pillows up against the headboard before climbing back into the still warm bed.

"Exactly." Katie flashed a winning smile at her girlfriend, and thus ending any more conversation over the reason behind ice cream for breakfast. Katie then plonked herself down in the bed next to Jessie.

"Right then, let's try again shall we?" Katie spoke again, directing more of an instruction than a question at Jessie, who in response, just looked at her blankly.

Katie chuckled and placed the tray to one side before leaning over and stroking the side of Jessie's face.

"Good morning Billie." Katie smiled lovingly and moved in, drawing Jessie into a slow kiss and closing her eyes, savouring the moment before pulling back.

"Mmm. Morning Baby." Jessie replied as she allowed her eyes to open once more and smiled back at Katie.

"Breakfast?" Katie asked excitedly, her smile now reaching her eyes. Jessie couldn't help but laugh as she thought to herself _there's no-one else in the world like Katie Singer._

"Breakfast sounds good." Jessie responded, knowing that to do anything but humour her girlfriend at this point would be a mistake that would only result in pouting.

"Well, we better hurry up then before it melts!" Katie said, swinging around to grab a bowl from the tray.

"A statement that has never been made in regards to breakfast before." Jessie mumbled in response to the words Katie had just spoken. Katie simply beamed proudly at Jessie, instead of coming up with a rebuttal for the younger girl's sarcastic comment.

"I only brought one bowl; it's probably not best to start the day feeling sick from too much ice cream." Katie explained before a thoughtful look passed across her features as she spoke again

"Besides, it'll be fun to share." She added with a suggestive eyebrow raised in Jessie's direction.

"I don't know what happened to you, Katie Singer!" Jessie let out, laughter evident in her voice.

"What?" Katie whined.

"Well, you used to be so innocent... Actually, maybe innocent is the wrong word. Anyway, now you're like a teenage boy, there's only one thing in that head of yours!" Jessie exclaimed.

"That's not true!" Katie retorted, as she offered a spoonful of ice cream to Jessie, watching as the younger girl put the spoon to her lips before speaking once more.

"I'm definitely not a teenage _boy..._ everything would be a whole lot different if I was!" Katie said

She had meant the comment as a joke, but even as the words had left her mouth, Katie realised that what she was saying could cause a re-appearance of a certain topic that she had planned on avoiding on this particular day. She really didn't want to discuss with Jessie how their relationship could be as easy as it would be had they been together in a "Normal, heterosexual relationship."

It wasn't that Katie didn't want to be out in the open about her relationship with Jessie; she did. But the ordeal with her parents had scarred Katie in more than just a physical sense. She had been told for years that what she was wasn't normal, that she was wrong, disgusting even. She had been made to feel that way for so long that she couldn't help but believe it on some levels. Katie knew that her Grandparents loved her for what she was, that they didn't think she was sick, but the fact remained that her own parents hated her for it. Katie tried hard but couldn't convince herself to let go of the feelings that her parents had instilled in her. Nothing terrified the girl more than the idea of more people knowing, of Jessie's parents knowing, she couldn't face the possibility of more people she cared about seeing her in a light she wasn't prepared for. And bringing Jessie into the equation as well? Katie would not allow Jessie to go through what she had. Sure, she knew that Jessie's family were not the same as hers; that they would more than likely accept the girl's relationship for what it was eventually, but Katie's mind was a mess. She knew she was being selfish, but numerous beatings and years of verbal assaults had tormented Katie into submission, and she feared losing Jessie if she voiced the irrationalities that circled her mind.

"Hey, Baby? Where did you go?" Jessie asked quietly. She had been watching Katie for the last minute or so, and had seen the smile run away from her face and be replaced with a furrowed brow and pained expression.

"Hmm? Sorry Billie. Did you say something?" Katie asked, her eyes snapping back into focus and turning to meet Jessie's.

"I said you were right. Things would be different if you were a boy." Jessie re-capped for Katie before continuing.

"But I wouldn't change anything about you." Jessie finished. She looked at Katie and smiled in both love and a little confusion as she witnessed a hugely relieved look grace Katie's features.

"So, Katie, are you going to let me feed you some of this ice cream now?"


End file.
